Take into consideration the weight and feel of the paper, the whiteness or warmth, and the texture to make an educated artistic decision.

This tip is all about media. This is obviously one of the most vital elements to creating artwork. It is essential for our images to be appropriate for the media we are printing on. Luckily with the Canon printers, you have amazing flexibility to create many styles of final prints.

Figuring out Media Types

I want to first get into printing on all sorts of media and how the Canon printing software works. There are two things that you must pair together when printing on different types of media. That is a Custom Profile and a Media Type. These go hand in hand for a correctly color managed print. In the Canon printing plug-in, you want to make sure you have these matched up correctly. You can tell which Media Type to select because it will usually be abbreviated in the actual profile name.

Profile Names

The Canon profiles on our Digital Learning Center (CDLC), as well as many 3rd party profiles follow this pattern. The first part is the printer model number and I am using iPF5100 for this example. Next is the abbreviated paper name. We are using Canon Polished Rag. Next is the Media type. The Media Type for Polished Rag is Heavyweight Semi-Gloss Photo version 2. We finish the profile off with the viewing light source D50 (which is the standard because it is Daylight balanced). The extension is .icc for Macintosh and .icm for Windows. The more you use profiles, the easier it gets to be familiar with the abbreviations. Here’s a couple of general helpful paper abbreviations: HW is always Heavyweight. FA is always Fine Art and S1-10 will be the Special 1-10 (which is only used in experimentation.)

Of course, you can always create your own custom profiles. But, there are certain places to where you can find them already created. Most 3rd party companies will or should provide a custom profile with the paper and if they don’t there are companies that will generate profiles for any media, but that could get pricy. Luckily, if you print on Canon media, we provide a number of custom profiles on the CDLC.

Media Options

Canon alone offers more than 40 types of media ranging from photographic: with glossy, semi gloss, and matte surfaces. Also, fine art: with rags, textured, watercolor, and canvas. We also offer a range of proofing papers as well as sign and banner material. Certainly, you want to judge what kind of images you will be printing to base your media decision. Because you wouldn’t necessarily print a commercial fashion shot on watercolor and a fine art floral image on a high gloss. Take into consideration the weight and feel of the paper, the whiteness or warmth, and the texture to make an educated artistic decision. Speaking of artistic, there are also options out there to experiment with like metal, hand-made papers, silk, and wood. You can print these on your Canon printers but you want to make sure you do a fair amount of research of this process before attempting to print on an unfamiliar material.

Loading Paper

Loading Sheets in the Cassette (iPF5100 only):

Push in the Output Tray Extension.

Grasp the handle on the front of the cassette and pull it forward a little. Holding the cassette on both sides with both hands, remove the cassette.

Load the stack printing-side-down and aligned lengthwise against the far right corner of the cassette.

Plain Paper

A4, Letter / 250 sheets

13x22 in A3 / 100 sheets

17x22 in A2 / 50 sheets

Coated Paper

A4, Letter / 200 sheets

13x22 in A3 / 100 sheets

17x22 in A2 / 50 sheets

Photo Paper Plus

A4, Letter / 20 sheets

13x22 in A3 / 20 sheets

Premium Matte Paper

A4, Letter / 30 sheets

13x22 in A3 / 20 sheets

Glossy Paper

A4, Letter / 100 sheets

13x22 in A3 / 50 sheets

Squeeze the Guide Lever of the Width Guide and slide it to the right until it touches the edge of the paper lightly. Do not set the Width Gide and Length Guide away from the paper or too tight against it. This may cause feeding problems.

Similarly, squeeze the Guide Lever of the Length Guide and slide it back until it touches the edge of the paper lightly.

Holding the cassette in the middle on both sides with both hands, insert it firmly into the printer.

Pull out the Output Tray Extension.

Loading Roll Paper on the iPF5100, 6100 and 6200

Open the roll paper media cover

If your roll paper has a 3-inch core, insert the blue 3-inch core attachment on the roll holder.

Insert the roll onto the roll holder with the paper facing out.

Inside the printer, where the roll paper is placed, there is a black side and a grey side. Make sure the black side of the roll holder matches the black side of the printer. Same goes with the gray side of the roll holder to the gray side of the printer.

Insert the edge of the roll paper holder into the paper feed slots.

Feed the paper manually until you hear and feel the printer advancing the paper.

The printer will now ask you the Roll Media Type of the paper you loaded. Select the correct Media Type.

Close the roll paper unit cover.

Loading Roll Paper on the iPF8100 and 9100

Open the Top Cover and lift the Ejection Guide

With the edge of the roll paper facing forward, insert the Roll Holder shaft into the guide grooves of the Roll Holder Slot on both sides.

Be careful not to drop a roll, and hurt yourself when loading.

Be careful not to put your fingers between the guide grooves and the Roll Holder shaft when loading.

Pull out the roll paper evenly on both ends, insert the roll paper in the Paper Feed Slot, and advance the roll paper until the roll paper touches the Paper Retainer.

After the paper reaches the Paper Retainer, it is automatically advanced over the Platen.

Be careful not to soil the printing surface of roll paper as you insert it in the slot. This may affect the printing quality.

If the paper is wrinkled or warped, straighten it out before loading it.

When loading paper that curls easily, lift the Release Lever to manually pull out the roll paper over the Platen.

Load the roll so that there is no gap between the right edge of the paper and the Roll Holder.

Lower the Ejection Guide.

While holding the edge of the roll paper, lift the Release Lever.

Hold the roll edge as you gently pull it evenly to the position of the Ejection Guide using both hands. Align the right side of the roll paper with the Paper Alignment Line so that the paper side is parallel to the line and lower the Release Lever.

Close the Top Cover

After you load a roll, the printer automatically shows a menu for selection of the paper type on the Display Screen.

Loading Sheet Paper in the Top Paper Feed Slot on the iPF5100, 6100 and 6200

You can load only one sheet in the Top Paper Feed Slot. Do not load more than one sheet at a time. This may cause paper jams.

Open the Paper Tray Cover, and then open the Tray Extension.

Slide the Width Guide to align it with the mark for the size of paper you will load.

Load the paper in the Top Paper Feed Slot with the printing side face-up. Insert the paper until its edge touches the far end of the tray lightly.

Move the Width Guide to match the size of paper loaded. Set the Width Guide against the edge of the paper to prevent the paper from becoming crooked or wrinkled.

Press the OK button to start feeding the paper. After the paper is advanced and the printer goes online, printing starts automatically. If no print job was received beforehand, the printer enters Standby mode.

Loading Sheet Paper on the iPF8100 and 9100

Open the Top Cover and lift the Release Lever. Do not touch the Linear Scale, Carriage Shaft, or Fixed Blade.

With a sheet lengthwise and printing-side up, insert it between the Platen and the Paper Retainer. Align the edges of the sheet as follows:

Align the sheet with the Paper Alignment Line at right.

Align the inserted edge of the sheet with the leading edge of the Paper Alignment Line.

When inserted, sheets are automatically held by suction against the Platen.

Lower the Release Lever and close the Top Cover.

The printer now starts feeding the paper.

After the paper is advanced, the printer automatically goes online and starts printing.

If no print job has been received from the computer beforehand, the printer automatically shows a menu for selection of the paper type on the Display Screen.

Loading Heavyweight Paper in the Front Paper Feed Slot for the iPF5100, 6100 and 6200

Before loading heavyweight paper, change the media type setting to POP Board. After POP Board is selected as the type of paper, you can select Front Paper Feed Slot.

Always load a POP Board in the Front Paper Feed Slot. Loading it another way may damage the printer or cause malfunction.

You can load only one sheet of paper at a time.

Sufficient space behind the printer is required when loading paper in the Front Paper Feed Slot.

Open the Top Cover.

With the sheet printing-side up, place the leading edge on the Front Tray Guides and insert it straight into the Front Paper Feed Slot.

As you look inside the Top Cover, insert the leading edge of the paper between the Platen and Paper Retainer, keeping it parallel to the Paper Retainer, and align the paper with the Paper Alignment Line of the Front Tray Guides. Never touch the Linear Scale or Carriage Shaft. This may stain your hands and damage the printer.

Close top cover and press the OK button.

The paper is held between the Platen and Back Cover as it is fed. After the paper is advanced and the printer goes online, printing starts automatically. If no print job as been received from the computer beforehand, the printer enters Standby mode.

iPF6100 and 6200 only: After printing, the printer will temporarily stop advancing the paper while the trailing edge is still in the rollers to prevent the sheet from dropping. Press the Load/Eject button to release the sheet. After pulling it straight out, press the OK button.